Fires Services: Grants

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what percentage of the overall income of each fire service in 2009-10 came from central Government grants.

Bob Neill: The proportion of the total income for each single purpose Fire and Rescue Authority in England in 2009-10 which came from central Government grants is as follows.
	
		
			   Central Government grants as a percentage of total income 
			 Greater Manchester Fire and CD Authority 64.2 
			 Merseyside Fire and CD Authority 62.6 
			 South Yorkshire Fire and CD Authority 61.8 
			 Tyne and Wear Fire and CD Authority 59.7 
			 West Midlands Fire and CD Authority 67.5 
			 West Yorkshire Fire and CD Authority 62.3 
			 Avon Combined Fire Authority 54.7 
			 Bedfordshire Combined Fire Authority 40.4 
			 Berkshire Combined Fire Authority 46.8 
			 Buckinghamshire Combined Fire Authority 41.7 
			 Cambridgeshire Combined Fire Authority 47.4 
			 Cheshire Combined Fire Authority 44.3 
			 Cleveland Combined Fire Authority 67.5 
			 Derbyshire Combined Fire Authority 47.1 
			 Devon and Somerset Combined Fire Authority 47.8 
			 Dorset Combined Fire Authority 43.3 
			 Durham Combined Fire Authority 47.7 
			 East Sussex Combined Fire Authority 37.4 
			 Essex Combined Fire Authority 44.0 
			 Hampshire Combined Fire Authority 44.7 
			 Hereford and Worcester Combined Fire Authority 38.2 
			 Humberside Combined Fire Authority 55.1 
			 Kent Combined Fire Authority 41.6 
			 Lancashire Combined Fire Authority 54.2 
			 Leicestershire Combined Fire Authority 55.3 
			 North Yorkshire Combined Fire Authority 42.9 
			 Nottinghamshire Combined Fire Authority 50.8 
			 Shropshire Combined Fire Authority 39.2 
			 Staffordshire Combined Fire Authority 44.8 
			 Wiltshire Combined Fire Authority 40.2 
			  Source: Department for Communities and Local Government revenue outturn (RO) and capital outturn (CO) returns 
		
	
	The figures for other local authorities providing a fire service cannot be calculated as the formula grant is an unhypothecated grant.
	The definition of central Government grant used here is the sum of formula grant (revenue support grant and redistributed non-domestic rates), specific grants inside Aggregate External Finance (AEF) (i.e. revenue grants paid for council's core services), specific and special revenue grants outside AEF (i.e. where funding is not for authorities' core services, but is passed to a third party, for example, rent allowances and rebates), Area Based Grant and expenditure financed by capital grants from central Government.
	The definition of total income used here is the sum of central government grants, council tax requirement, investment income-external receipts and dividends-sales, fees and charges, and in-year capital receipts. It excludes income reported by local authorities under 'other income' in revenue outturn returns as this includes internal recharges, which distorts the comparative figures.
	Comparison across years may not be valid owing to changing local authority responsibilities.
	The dependency of local authorities on Government grant will be taken into account in the forthcoming Local Government Finance Settlement.

Housing: Construction

Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the likely effects of his proposal to offset numbers of demolitions against the number of new build homes planned on  (a) areas with high numbers of empty properties,  (b) areas in respect of which local authorities have proposed demolition programmes and  (c) incentives to (i) undertake regeneration projects and (ii) demolish buildings; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Stunell: The aim of the New Homes Bonus is to provide a powerful, simple, transparent and permanent means of incentivising local authorities to increase their housing supply. The consultation stage impact assessment makes an estimate of the potential supply impact, based on a number of possible behavioural responses of local authorities. This can be viewed in the current consultation available on the Department for Communities and Local Government Website at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingsupply/newhomesbonus/
	Almost £1 billion will be set aside for the New Homes Bonus over the spending review period, including nearly £200 million in year one and we have made it clear that funding beyond these levels will come from formula grant which will match fund the additional council tax raised for new homes and properties brought back into use, for the following six years, with an additional amount for affordable homes.
	Under the consultation proposals we are also incentivising local authorities to bring empty homes back into use, by removing them from the council tax base calculations. This also means the authorities demolishing homes classified as empty homes would not be penalised.
	The Government are giving communities and neighbourhoods new rights, powers and tools that they could use to drive forward local regeneration and growth, enhancing their ability to benefit from the New Homes Bonus. We are giving local communities and councils greater control over what happens locally, and greater ability to secure and channel public resources, and to attract private and social investment. In addition, the recently established Regional Growth Fund (£1.4 billion over three years), the European Regional Development Fund, and the continuation of Regional Development Agencies and the Homes and Community Agency committed schemes will support local regeneration and growth.

Housing: Empty Property

Stephen Mosley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many empty homes there are in  (a) City of Chester constituency and  (b) the North West; and how many such homes have been empty for six months or more in each of those areas.

Bob Neill: Data are not available at constituency level. Relevant billing authorities have reported that the total number of empty dwellings and the number of dwellings that have been empty for six months or more and are substantially unfurnished in Chester East, and in Chester West and Chester, are as shown in the following table. The data are a snap shot taken as at 4 October 2010.
	
		
			   Total empty homes  Long term empty 
			 Cheshire East 6,745 3,843 
			 Cheshire West and Chester 4,797 2,079 
		
	
	Aggregation of equivalent data from all billing authorities in North West statistical region indicates that the total number of empty dwellings and the number of dwellings that have been empty for six months or more are as follows:
	
		
			  North West statistical region 
			 Total empty homes 136,905 
			 Long term empty 67,042 
		
	
	The data are taken from the council tax base (CTB) and CTB (Supplementary) forms completed annually in October by all billing authorities in England and returned to the Department for Communities and Local Government.

Housing: Insulation

Graham Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homes in the  (a) private rented,  (b) social and  (c) owner-occupied sector in (i) England, (ii) Hyndburn and (iii) Haslingden (A) are unfit for habitation and (B) do not meet his Department's minimum guidelines on insulation.

Andrew Stunell: Following the repeal of the Fitness Standard under the 2004 Housing Act, the Department for Communities and Local Government no longer makes, or requires from local authorities, an assessment of the number of homes unfit for habitation. The Housing Health and Safety Rating System introduced a new approach to the evaluation of potential risks to health and safety from any deficiencies identified in dwellings. It was introduced in the Housing Act 2004, and came into force on 6 April 2006, replacing the "fitness standard" as the statutory minimum standard for housing and as one component of the decent homes measurement.
	The Department does not set out minimum guidelines on insulation for existing housing.
	The English Housing Survey provides a national-only estimate of the number of dwellings that do not meet the insulation requirements of the thermal comfort criterion of the Decent Homes Standard. These requirements are set out in the Guidance for the Decent Homes Standard, available at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/housing/decenthome
	Estimates for the number of dwellings that do not meet the insulation requirements of the thermal comfort criterion of the Decent Homes Standard in 2008 (the most recent estimates available) are set out in the following table:
	
		
			  Number and percentage of homes not meeting the insulation requirements of the thermal comfort criterion of the Decent Homes standard, 2008 
			   Number ( T housand)  Percentage of the tenure 
			 Owner-occupied 1,488 10 
			 Private rented 531 16 
			 Social rented 363 9 
			 All dwellings 2,381 11 
			  Source: English Housing Survey, 2008. 
		
	
	The Department does not hold this information for Hyndburn or Haslingden.

Local Government: Voluntary Organisations

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps his Department is taking to ensure that local authority plans to deliver savings do not disproportionately affect the voluntary sector.

Andrew Stunell: Spending decisions are, and will continue to be, a matter for local authorities. We have a rich diversity of voluntary organisations, charities, faith groups, co-operatives, social enterprises and local housing trusts-all of who already make a huge contribution to local life. The big society means using their potential and involving them even more in delivering what people want. I do not expect local authorities to respond by passing on disproportionate cuts to other service providers, especially the voluntary sector.
	I also draw the attention of the hon. Member to my Department's press release of 14 October 2010 on the valuable role of the voluntary sector, a copy of which I have placed in the Library of the House.

Right to Acquire Scheme

Richard Fuller: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many right to acquire purchases from housing associations have been facilitated  (a) in total and  (b) with Sharia-compliant financing since January 2005; what the monetary value of such purchases was in each such year; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Stunell: Between 2005-06 and 2009-10, a total of 1,850 sales took place under the Right to Acquire scheme with an estimated average market value of £94,000 per property acquired. Information by individual year is provided in the following table. Note the information for average market values is based on larger Registered Social Landlords only. None of the sales were made with Sharia compliant finance.
	
		
			  Right-to-Acquire social housing sales in England 
			   Number  Average market value (£) 
			 2005-06 470 83,000 
			 2006-07 570 87,000 
			 2007-08 540 108,000 
			 2008-09 180 110,000 
			 2009-10 90 98,000 
			  Note: Numbers rounded to nearest 10 homes and market values to £ thousand.  Source: Homes and Communities Agency (numbers) and Tenant Services Authority (market value).

Social Rented Housing

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent estimate his Department has made of the number of families eligible for social housing that require properties with  (a) four,  (b) three and  (c) two bedrooms who are awaiting the allocation of such a property in each borough in London.

Andrew Stunell: Information is available on numbers of households rather than families. Social housing waiting lists are maintained by local authorities and are open to anyone to join. The number of households registered on social housing waiting lists, along with the number of households requiring one, two, three, more than three, or an unspecified number of bedrooms, as at 1 April each year is collected from local authorities in England in section C on the annual Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix (HSSA). The latest information for each local authority as at 1 April 2009 is available on the DCLG website:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/housing/xls/1393618.xls
	Where local authorities and registered social landlords operate a common register, households registered with the social landlords will be included in the data. However, registered social landlords are independent bodies and can keep their own waiting lists.
	Information relating to 1 April 2010 will be published on the DCLG website today.

Iraq: Christianity

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of the number of Christians killed in Iraq as a result of religious or ethnic violence in each Christian group in  (a) 2008 and  (b) 2009.

Alistair Burt: Unfortunately there are no reliable figures available on the number of Christians killed by ethnic violence in Iraq, however the UK is very concerned by the recent attacks against the Christian community in Iraq. We are doing everything we can to support the Iraqi Government in combating sectarian violence and providing adequate security for all groups.

Cycling

Julian Huppert: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has for the continuation of the  (a) Bikeability,  (b) Cycling Towns and Cities and  (c) Finding New Solutions programmes previously funded by Cycling England.

Norman Baker: The current Cycling England programme ends in March 2011, with some transitional activity likely to continue into 2011-12. As part of the Government's commitment to supporting sustainable travel, and to simplify funding for local authorities, I have announced the creation of a Local Sustainable Transport Fund worth £560 million. This will challenge local transport authorities outside London to develop packages of measures that support economic growth and reduce carbon, in their communities as well as, tackling congestion, delivering cleaner environments, improved safety and increased levels of physical activity. A proportion of the fund will be allocated to provide continued funding for Bikeability. For the remainder of the funding, we will invite local authorities to develop packages of low cost, high value measures which best meet their local needs and effectively address local issues. Measures could include encouraging walking and cycling, such as those demonstrated in the Cycling Towns and Cities and the "Finding New Solutions" projects.

Colleges of Education

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met representatives of the Association of Scotland's Colleges; and what matters were discussed.

David Mundell: Scotland's colleges participated in a roundtable discussion on employment and welfare reform hosted by the Secretary of State on 24 September. He expects to meet representatives of Scotland's colleges soon.

Convention of Scottish Local Authorities

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met representatives of the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities; and what matters were discussed.

David Mundell: The Secretary of State most recently met representatives from COSLA at a roundtable meeting he hosted on 24 September to discuss employment and welfare reform.

Afghanistan

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Prime Minister on what dates he has held meetings at Chequers at which Afghanistan was discussed; and who attended each such meeting.

David Cameron: I discussed the situation in Afghanistan during an introductory meeting with the Chiefs of Staff at Chequers on 15 May 2010. I also met President Karzai at Chequers that day.
	As I set out during my appearance at the Liaison Committee I held a meeting on Afghanistan at Chequers on 1 June 2010. This was attended by members of the National Security Council and a range of external experts.
	A list of membership of the National Security Council is on the Cabinet Office website:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/government-business/cabinet-secretariat.aspx
	In addition, the seminar was attended by the then Chief of the Defence Staff (Sir Jock Stirrup), Sir Peter Ricketts, Sir William Patey, Sir Sherard Cowper-Coles, Brigadier James Cowan, the right hon. Lord Ashdown, Lt General Sir Graeme Lamb, James Fergusson and my hon. Friends the Member of Parliament for Gravesham (Mr Holloway) and the Member of Parliament for Penrith and the Border (Rory Stewart) and supporting officials.

Enterprise Advisers

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Prime Minister what plans he has to appoint an enterprise adviser.

David Cameron: The Government are committed to doing everything it can to help and promote enterprise by creating the conditions that enable UK businesses to be successful. On Monday 29 November my right hon. Friends the Chancellor of the Exchequer the Chancellor (Mr Osborne) and the Business Secretary (Vince Cable) launched the Growth Review. This is a fundamental assessment of what each part of Government are doing to provide the conditions for private sector success and to address the barriers faced by industry.

Biofuels

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he intends to introduce sustainability criteria under the Renewable Obligation for the use of solid and gaseous biomass in the generation of renewable heat.

Charles Hendry: The Renewables Obligation (RO) is the UK's main support mechanism for large-scale renewable electricity generation. The RO also rewards heat through the CHP (combined heat and power) uplift. The CHP uplift gives eligible generators an additional 1/2 ROC in recognition of the efficiency and carbon savings generating both heat and electricity can offer.
	We recently consulted on the introduction of sustainability criteria for the use of solid and gaseous biomass under the Renewables Obligation. The criteria set out in the consultation included a minimum greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions saving of 60% compared to fossil fuel, and general restrictions on the use of materials from land important on carbon or biodiversity grounds. We also proposed that the criteria would be applied to CHP as well as to co-firing or dedicated biomass power plants. The Government response to the consultation is due to be published shortly.

Energy: Housing

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what plans he has for the mechanism for accreditation of general builders undertaking retrofitting work under the proposed Green Deal; and what mechanisms will be in place to prevent rogue traders from undertaking such work.

Gregory Barker: The Green Deal will be underpinned by a certification scheme. This will set the necessary technical standards for installation and competence levels for installers as well as customer care and warranty requirements .
	To ensure that work is carried out to a high standards, all installers operating under the Green Deal will have to adhere to the prescribed certification and skills standard, and to carry a quality mark demonstrating this. We will develop the standard with relevant sectors.

Energy: Prices

Peter Aldous: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will take steps to include in the proposed Energy Company Obligation provisions to ensure greater transparency in respect of the proportion of customers' bills charged to cover the cost to the supplier of that obligation; and if he will make a statement.

Gregory Barker: We recognise the need to ensure transparency under the future Energy Company Obligation, including the costs. To this end, we will include provisions in the Energy Security and Green Economy Bill that will enable greater, more detailed reporting by obligated companies, including details of costs passed through to consumer energy bills.

Energy: Prices

Peter Aldous: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will take steps to ensure that minimum standards for tariffs are proposed in the Energy Security and Green Economy Bill.

Gregory Barker: The Energy Security and Green Energy Bill will include powers to require energy suppliers to inform consumers through their bills about the cheapest available tariff to give customers greater control over their energy costs.
	To meet its principal duty, to protect the interests of consumers, Ofgem actively monitors the activities of licence holders, including compliance with their recently introduced standards of conduct. These standards require suppliers not to sell products that are inappropriate to a customer's needs or offer products that are unnecessarily complex or confusing.
	In a recent open letter to suppliers, Ofgem, reminded suppliers of their obligations under these standards. A copy of this letter is available online at:
	http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/Markets/RetMkts/ensuppro/Documents1/Open_letter%20on%20transparency.pdf

Energy: Rented Housing

Penny Mordaunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will introduce a minimum energy efficiency standard for privately rented homes and social housing; and if he will make a statement.

Gregory Barker: There are no current plans to introduce minimum energy efficiency standards for rental accommodation. The Green Deal has the potential to increase the energy efficiency of homes across all housing sectors and will enable a range of innovative energy efficiency finance packages for landlords and tenants alike.
	We are also seeking powers in the forthcoming Energy Security and Green Economy Bill that, from 2015, could require landlords to make reasonable energy efficiency improvements to their properties. These powers will not apply to social housing as the sector has made the largest improvement in energy efficiency in recent years.
	Further ministerial statements will follow in due course, after the Energy Security and Green Economy Bill is introduced.

Industry Taskforce on Peak Oil and Energy Security

Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what progress has been made by the UK industry taskforce on peak oil and energy security; and if he will make a statement.

Charles Hendry: The UK Industry Task Force on Peak Oil and Energy Security is wholly independent of the Government.

Renewable Energy

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much funding from the public purse his Department has allocated to the development of  (a) biofuel,  (b) biomass,  (c) hydroelectricity,  (d) solar energy,  (e) tidal power,  (f) wave power and  (g) wind power in each of the last three years; and how much such funding he plans to allocate in each year of the Comprehensive Spending Review period.

Charles Hendry: The following amounts were spent on support for the development of biofuel, bioenergy, hydroelectricity, solar energy, tidal power, wave power and wind power technologies through the Environmental Transformation Fund and Low Carbon Innovation Funding over the last three financial years.
	
		
			  Spend (£ million) 
			2007-08  2008-09  2009-10 
			  (a) Advanced Biofuels - - 1.0 
			  (b) Bioenergy including Biomass 6.9 14.7 10.8 
			  (e) and  (f) Wave and Tidal Power 0.7 0.7 9.3 
			  (g) Offshore Wind 12.7 2.4 2.0 
			  Low Carbon Buildings Programme (Capital) 6.0 12.4 36.6 
		
	
	The Low Carbon Buildings Programme (LCBP) funds deployment of renewable microgeneration technologies including biomass, hydro, solar energy and wind. Figures for spend from 2006-09 by calendar year are set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Spend (£) 
			2006  2007  2008  2009 
			  (b) Wood Fuelled Boilers 14,602 157,649 261,952 590,633 
			  (g) Wind Turbines 76,949 1,129,918 649,011 1,142,520 
			  (d) Solar Thermal 103,552 1,405,776 1,307,853 2,815,253 
			  (d) Solar PV 156,778 3,934,422 6,129,489 12,894,930 
			  (c) Small Scale Hydro 0 13,000 2,500 128,522 
			  (b) Biomass Stoves 0 102,001 336,461 678,062 
		
	
	2010-11 budgets are as follows.
	
		
			  Spend (£ million) 
			2010-11 
			  (a) Advanced Biofuels 0.5 
			  (b) Bioenergy including Biomass 5.3 
			  (e) and  (f) Wave and Tidal Power 21.0 
			  (g ) Offshore Wind 16.2 
			  Low Carbon Buildings Programme (Capital) 37.1 
		
	
	The Office for Renewable Energy Deployment (ORED) has also undertaken activity to reduce barriers to deployment across the range of renewable technologies.
	The spending review announcement included over £200 million to support the development of innovative energy technologies, of which up to £60 million has been earmarked for offshore wind manufacturing infrastructure at port locations. The Government are currently developing its detailed plans for the allocation of the remainder of this funding.

Renewables Obligation: Water Power

George Eustice: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 
	(1)  whether his Department plans to increase the number of renewable obligation certificates awarded for marine energy in England and Wales from two per milliwatt hour to five per milliwatt hour to align the rest of the UK with Scotland;
	(2)  what plans he has to review the renewable obligations system in respect of marine energy.

Charles Hendry: A banding review of renewables obligation support for all technologies began in October this year and any change to the support level for marine energy will be considered as part of this process. Banding reviews ensure that as market conditions and innovation within sectors change and evolve, developers continue to receive the correct level of support necessary to maintaining investment in the renewables industry.
	Any changes in support levels will be come into effect on 1 April 2013.

Warm Front Scheme

Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the number of households likely to participate in the Warm Front Scheme in  (a) 2010-11,  (b) 2011-12 and  (c) 2012-13.

Gregory Barker: The Department has estimated that the Warm Front Scheme will assist approximately 150,000 households in 2010-11. As announced in the spending review, DECC will fund a smaller, more targeted Warm Front Scheme over the next two years as we transition to the full role out of the Green Deal. We will shortly be consulting on proposed changes to Warm Front to ensure the eligibility criteria reflect our determination to focus on the most vulnerable households.
	The Department has estimated that Warm Front will assist approximately 57,000 households in 2011-12, and 50,000 in 2012-13.

Wind Power: Planning Permission

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether his Department plans to adopt a general proximity rule for land-based wind turbine planning applications.

Charles Hendry: No, for the reasons given to my hon. Friend the Member for Selby and Ainsty (Nigel Adams) by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Fire and Resilience, Thames Gateway and Olympics, and Local Government and Planning (Robert Neill) on 11 November 2010,  Official Report, column 461W.

BBC

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent meetings  (a) officials and  (b) special advisers in his Department have had with the Director-General of the BBC; and whether pensions were discussed at those meetings.

Danny Alexander: Treasury officials met with the director-general of the BBC on 15 April 2010 to discuss the BBC's Strategy Review.

Combined Online Information System

Mark Williams: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the  (a) start-up and  (b) annual running cost of the Combined Online Information System database.

Danny Alexander: The Combined On-line Information System (COINS) was developed 2002-05 by extending an existing application, and implemented during 2005, commencing in May of that year.
	The identified cost to the Treasury of development of the COINS system to its implementation is £2.251 million.
	The estimated annual running costs are £800,000 per annum (excluding VAT).

Consumer Prices Index

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he plans to include housing costs in the calculation of the consumer prices index.

Justine Greening: The Chancellor has asked the Governor of the Bank of England for his views on how the process to include housing costs into the consumer prices index (CPI) can be accelerated. The independent Office for National Statistics (ONS), along with the national statistical offices of other European member states is working with the Statistical Office of the European Communities, to assess the most appropriate approach for including an index of owner-occupier housing costs in the CPI in the future. Alongside this international agenda, the CPI Advisory Committee recommended to the UK Statistics Authority in its annual report on 3 November that ONS develops housing cost indices using the net acquisitions and rental equivalence approaches.

Health Centres: Christchurch

Christopher Chope: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health on the sale of the lease for the former Saxon Square Health Centre in Christchurch; what his Department's role is in  (a) negotiating and  (b) approving the sale; when he expects his Department's decisions on the sale to be communicated to the Department of Health; what the reasons are for the time taken to date; and if he will make a statement.

Danny Alexander: The Treasury reviews spending decisions to protect the taxpayers interest by ensuring they are value for money and affordable. It endeavours to reply promptly and has already communicated its views on this case to the Department of Health.

Mortgages

Marcus Jones: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  whether he has assessed the effect of the mortgage market proposals made by the Financial Services Authority on small businesses with a turnover under £1 million;
	(2)  whether he has assessed the effect of the Financial Services Authority's mortgage market review proposals on the  (a) availability of mortgages and  (b) operation of the housing market; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  whether he has discussed with the Council of Mortgage Lenders the proposals on responsible lending made by the Financial Services Authority and their likely effect on the housing market.

Mark Hoban: The Financial Services Authority (FSA) is conducting a wholesale review of mortgage regulation in the UK, the 'Mortgage Market Review'.
	The Government believe that it is right for the FSA to ensure that the UK mortgage market has responsible lending practices. We will continue to work with the FSA, mortgage lenders and intermediaries, and consumer groups to ensure a mortgage market that is sustainable for all participants.
	The FSA published 'Mortgage Market Review: Responsible Lending' in July which set out the detail of some of the proposed changes. This forms one part of an ongoing consultation process.
	The FSA has stated that they will fully assess the potential impact on the market before implementing any rule changes. Further, the FSA will consult in 2011 on transitional measures to help mitigate any adverse effects on existing borrowers.
	Treasury Ministers and officials have discussions with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such discussions.

Public Expenditure

Michael Dugher: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what arrangements are in place for the transfer of budgets between spending departments following a reallocation of departmental responsibilities; whether his Department is required to approve such transfers; and if he will make a statement.

Danny Alexander: The arrangements for machinery of government changes, including any transfer of resources, are detailed in the "Machinery of government: best practice handbook" published by the Cabinet Office. This publication is available at:
	www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/media/332838/mog-handbook.pdf

Public Sector: Pay

Andrew Selous: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects the fair pay review to report on the feasibility of paying salaries at the level of the London living wage across the public sector including contracted staff in Government Departments; and if he will make a statement.

Danny Alexander: holding answer 19 November 2010
	The Government supports fair and decent pay from public sector contractors and is looking at contractor policy to ensure both value for the taxpayer and fairness for those whose jobs support the work of Government.
	Will Hutton's Review of Fair Pay in the Public Sector is due to report to the Chancellor and Prime Minister by March 2011 on promoting pay fairness in the public sector by tackling disparities between the lowest and highest paid organisations. The review will produce an interim report, expected in December. The review will comprise robust, evidence based analysis of the scale of the problem and recommendations on how to introduce a public sector pay multiple that would mean that no public sector manager can earn over 20 times more than the lowest person in their organization. The Terms of Reference can be found at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/indreview_willhutton_fairpay.htm

Agriculture: Finance

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her Department's budget is for promoting farming  (a) in England and  (b) overseas for 2011-12.

James Paice: The DEFRA promotional budget for farming in England in 2011-12 has yet to be decided. Promotion of English farming overseas is led by UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) which is a joint operation between the Department for Business, Innovation and Skill and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Departmental Press: Subscriptions

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much  (a) her Department and  (b) the non-departmental public bodies for which she is responsible spent on press cuttings services in each of the last 12 months.

Richard Benyon: The cost of press cuttings for each of the last 12 months for DEFRA and the Rural Payments Agency, the Environment Agency, Natural England, British Waterways, the Marine Management Organisation and those parts of the Forestry Commission that are funded by the UK Government are as follows. Executive agencies and NDPBs not listed do not receive a press cuttings service.
	 The Department including its executive agencies
	 Core DEFRA
	November 2009: £16,117.83
	December 2009: £17,509.17
	January 2010: £7,625.70
	February 2010: £3,621.01
	March 2010: £4,908.14
	April 2010: £4,082.04
	May 2010: £4,459.21
	June 2010: £4,811.64
	July 2010: £3,953.36
	August 2010: £5,429.26
	September 2010: £5,489.90
	October 2010: £6,063.64
	 Rural Payments Agency
	The Rural Payments Agency has an annual subscription of £6960 for its press cuttings service, with additional monthly costs as follows.
	November 2009: £235.58
	December 2009: £410.73
	January 2010 :£357.61
	February 2010: £357.61
	March 2010: £386.62
	April 2010: £383.12
	May 2010: £451.08
	June 2010: £367.80
	July 2010: £412.11
	August 2010: £229.94
	September 2010: £300.90
	October 2010: £236.09
	 Non-departmental public bodies
	 Environment Agency
	November 2009: £8,582.47
	December 2009: £8,241.58
	January 2010: £7,422.30
	February 2010: £7,364.56
	March 2010: £7,239.8
	April 2011: £6,970.45
	May 2010: £6,418.50
	June 2010: £6,857.94
	July 2010: £8,115.91
	August 2010: £6,911.11
	September 2010: £6,985
	October 2010: £7,240
	 Natural England
	November 2009: £4,595
	December 2009: £3,847
	January 2010: £3,661
	February 2010: £4,191
	March 2010: £2,327
	April 2010: £4,320
	May 2010: £3,747
	June 2010: £4,222
	July 2010: £2,228
	August 2010: £319
	September 2010: £319
	October 2010: £319
	 Marine Management Organisation
	Figures are from March 2010 onwards, when the organisation was formed.
	March 2010: £395.02
	April 2010: £223.16
	May 2010: £144.46
	June 2010: £214.90
	July 2010: £264.16
	August 2010: £554.12
	September 2010: £362.14
	October 2010: £460.94
	 British Waterways
	November 2009: £2,576.14
	December 2009: £2,082.12
	January 2010: £2,044.86
	February 2010: £1,196.70
	March 2010: £1,493.90
	April 2010: £1,322.70
	May 2010: £1,164.30
	June 2010: £994.70
	July 2010: £1,868.10
	August 2010: £1,434.30
	September 2010: £1,612.50
	October 2010: £1,788.90
	 Forestry Commission (combined figures for Forestry Commission England, Forest Research and Forestry Commission Great Britain)
	November 2009: £1,168.75
	December 2009: £1,168.75
	January 2010: £1,168.75
	February 2010: £1,168.75
	March 2010: £1,168.75
	April 2010: £1,168.75
	May 2010: £1,168.75
	June 2010: £1,168.75
	July 2010: £1,192.92
	August 2010: £1,168.75
	September 2010: £1,168.75
	October 2010: £1,168.75

Hydroelectric Power

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change on the potential effects of small-scale hydroschemes on migratory fish returning to their spawning headstreams; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Benyon: No discussions have taken place between the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Meriden (Mrs Spelman) and the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, the right hon. Member for Eastleigh (Chris Huhne) on that specific issue. As a member of the Government's Renewable Energy Deployment Environmental Issues Project Board, DEFRA is working, together with DECC and other Government Departments and agencies, to ensure that the objectives of the EU renewable energy directive are met, while continuing to meet obligations on nature conservation and the environment.

National Park Authorities

Simon Hart: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the cost to the public purse was of National Park Authorities' planning departments in each of the last two years.

Richard Benyon: This information is not centrally held by DEFRA, but will be available in each of the national park authorities' annual report and accounts.

Rivers

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department is taking to improve summer flows on chalk streams; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Benyon: The Environment Agency assesses the sustainability of water resources in England, including chalk streams, to inform its future management of abstractions, with the aim of ensuring no further deterioration of conservation status.
	Chalk streams are designated a priority habitat in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UKBAP).
	UKBAP has set out three priorities for chalk streams:
	maintain the characteristic plants and animals of chalk rivers, including their winterbourne (headwater) stretches;
	restore water quality, flows and habitat diversity;
	identify cost-effective means of restoring damaged river reaches.
	Where over-abstraction has occurred, the Environment Agency can take action through its Restoring Sustainable Abstraction Programme. Restoration solutions can include licence changes as well as in-river modifications.
	Securing water resources for the future will be a key theme in the upcoming Water White Paper, due for publication in early summer 2011. Water abstraction management will also be an important issue in the Natural Environment White Paper which is due for publication in spring 2011.

Sharks: Conservation

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on an international ban on shark finning.

Richard Benyon: As the Minister for Natural Environment and Fisheries, I am strongly opposed to shark finning wherever it takes place, and am thoroughly committed to banning this wasteful practice worldwide by ensuring that all sharks are landed with their fins attached.
	The UK has already acted on this issue domestically. We no longer issue special fishing permits which means that all UK vessels must land sharks with fins attached to the carcass, wherever they fish.
	We will use our strong domestic position to influence forthcoming EU negotiations on this issue. We want to see EU Regulations amended so that fin-on landings are mandatory for all European vessels. We will also push hard for this to be the case in international fisheries managed by Regional Fisheries Management Organisations.

Water Abstraction

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department is taking to reduce the adverse effects on river flows of abstraction; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Benyon: All abstraction licences are assessed through the Environment Agency's Catchment Abstraction Management Strategies.
	Licences identified as potentially impacting the environment undergo further analysis in the Environment Agency's Restoring Sustainable Abstraction Programme.
	The Environment Agency currently has 314 open schemes within this programme. Each scheme involves the investigation of one or more abstraction licences.
	Restoration solutions can include licence changes as well as in-river modifications.
	Securing water resources for the future will be a key theme in the upcoming Water White Paper, due for publication in early summer 2011. Water abstraction management will also be an important issue in the Natural Environment White Paper which is due for publication in spring 2011.

Employment Agencies

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what recent discussions he has had on his Department's guidance on regulations on the conduct of employment agencies; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Davey: Guidance on the conduct regulations was updated on the Businesslink and Directgov websites prior to changes to the regulations coming into force on 1( )October this year. The Employment Agency Standards inspectorate is currently in the process of reviewing all of the guidance available with a view to publishing more detailed guidance in due course for both businesses and for workers.
	The Secretary of State, however, has had no recent discussions on guidance on the conduct of employment agency regulations.

Higher Education: Admissions

Liz Kendall: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many children who had received free school meals entered  (a) Oxford and  (b) Cambridge university in each year since 1980.

David Willetts: The figures in the table show the number of pupils aged 15 in English maintained schools who were in receipt of free school meals at the start of the school academic year and who progressed to Oxbridge by the age of 19.
	
		
			  Estimates of the number of FSM pupils aged 15 in English maintained schools who progress to Oxford and Cambridge university by age 19 
			   In HE by age 19 
			   2005/06  2006/07  2007/08 
			 Oxford university 25 20 20 
			 Cambridge university 20 25 20 
			  Source: Matched data from the National Pupil Database and the Higher Education Statistics Agency Student Record. All figures are estimates and have been rounded to the nearest five. 
		
	
	The figures for FSM pupils are based on those recorded as such on Pupil Level Census. As this is a snapshot of pupils in one year, this will exclude pupils who claimed free school meals in previous years. Also some parents may choose not to apply for FSM. Children from these families who progress to Oxbridge would not be included in the table.
	These figures have been estimated using matched data from the National Pupil Database and the Higher Education Statistics Agency Student and are only available for three data points. These rounded estimates allow for a small margin of error that arises as result of the matching procedure deployed.

Local Enterprise Partnerships

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what  (a) strategic and  (b) other powers he plans to enable local enterprise partnerships to exercise; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Prisk: As set out in the White Paper on Local Growth we envisage that local enterprise partnerships could take on a diverse range of roles. When partnerships have met our expectations regarding support from business, economic geography, local authority support, ambition and added value Government will enter into a discussion with them about delivering the economic vision for their area, in parallel with progress to establish appropriate boards and governance arrangements.
	In addition, the Government are intending to provide, through the forthcoming Localism Bill, a general power of competence for local authorities, giving them real freedom to act in the interests of their local communities.

Local Enterprise Partnerships

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has for the level of  (a) central Government and  (b) local authority funding for local enterprise partnerships in each year of the Spending Review period.

Mark Prisk: No central Government spending has been allocated specifically to fund the activities of local enterprise partnerships. As set out in the White Paper on Local Growth local enterprise partnerships will be expected to fund their own day-to-day running costs and will also want to consider how they can obtain the best value for public money by leveraging in private sector investment. Local enterprise partnerships and proposed partnerships may also wish to submit bids to the Regional Growth Fund or European Funding. It is for local authorities to decide how much of their discretionary spending they allocate to local enterprise partnerships.

Local Enterprise Partnerships

Robert Halfon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills by what mechanisms he expects smaller sub-regional economic areas to  (a) integrate in and  (b) work with the larger local enterprise partnerships.

Mark Prisk: Local enterprise partnerships see a move away from centrally imposed structures and their replacement with locally developed initiatives. It is for partnerships to decide how they develop and deliver their vision for a business environment that enables local growth. The Government are encouraging them to work with key economic stakeholders to help them deliver this vision. We would also expect the partnerships governance arrangements to be transparent and ensure that they are locally accountable.

Postgraduate Education: Finance

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what funding his Department plans to provide for the teaching of postgraduate taught courses in Higher Education Funding Council England subject bands B and C in each of the next four years; and if he will make a statement.

David Willetts: The Department will be announcing decisions on the funding available for teaching, including masters, in our Grant Letter to the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) before Christmas. We will bring forward proposals on the longer term future for the funding for post graduate teaching, in the light of the Post Graduate Review, in the forthcoming Higher Education White Paper.

Refrigerators: Waste Disposal

Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans his Department has to reduce the number of refrigerated display cabinets disposed of in landfill sites.

Mark Prisk: The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations 2006 already minimise the amount of discarded electrical and electronic equipment going to landfill. The regulations place obligations on the producers and business end-users of a wide range of waste electrical equipment, including retail refrigerated display cabinets. These include the financing of the separate collection, subsequent treatment, re-use, recovery, recycling and environmentally sound disposal of such equipment when it becomes waste. Treatment and recycling facilities are approved and regulated by the Environment agencies to ensure compliance with strict standards that minimise the environmental impacts of their operations and the maximisation of recycling rates.

Refrigerators: Waste Disposal

Alan Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans he has to encourage the re-use and recycling of  (a) refrigerated display cabinets and  (b) other white electrical goods.

Mark Prisk: The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations 2006 already encourage the re-use and recycling of refrigerated display cabinets and other white electrical goods. The regulations place obligations on the producers and business end-users of a wide range of waste electrical equipment, including refrigerated display cabinets and white electrical goods. These include the financing of the separate collection, subsequent treatment, re-use, recovery, recycling and environmentally sound disposal of such equipment when it becomes waste.
	Currently 96% of civic amenity sites across the UK collect large household appliances and 98% collect cooling equipment containing refrigerants from householders. The Code of Practice for collection of WEEE from these designated collection facilities encourages Producer Compliance Schemes (PCSs) to work with re-use organisations.
	The WEEE regulations include specific provisions to encourage, where appropriate, the reuse of whole alliances including a requirement for PCSs, as part of the approval process, to set out how they propose to prioritise the reuse of whole appliances in their operational plans.

Euthanasia

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 3 November 2010,  Official Report, column 834W, on mercy killings, whether the Government plans to amend the law on offences of murder which may be classified as mercy killings.

Kenneth Clarke: No. The Government believe that any change to the law in this emotive and contentious area is an issue of individual conscience and a matter for Parliament to decide rather than government policy.

Young Offenders

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) children and young people under the age of 18 years and  (b) looked-after children and young people under the age of 18 years were released from custody in each local authority area in England and Wales in each of the last five years.

Crispin Blunt: The following table shows the number of custodial episodes ended for children and young people under the age of 18 years by the youth offending team they were attached to in each of the last five years where data are available.
	The majority of youth offending teams are coterminous with local authorities in England and Wales; however there are some exceptions where a single YOT covers two or more local authorities. During 2008-09, there were 157 YOTs; 139 in England and 18 in Wales.
	Accurate data on the number of looked after children are not collected centrally by the Youth Justice Board.
	
		
			   2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 Barking and Dagenham 76 82 94 82 64 
			 Barnet 67 38 59 71 60 
			 Barnsley 63 46 43 48 41 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 28 26 20 27 19 
			 Bedfordshire 63 73 56 64 60 
			 Bexley 21 35 47 33 24 
			 Birmingham 567 498 497 405 375 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 48 34 33 32 41 
			 Blackpool 50 33 45 69 61 
			 Blaenau, Gwent and Caerphilly 44 39 62 32 39 
			 Bolton 80 91 74 85 87 
			 Bournemouth and Poole 48 61 33 18 17 
			 Bracknell Forest 7 11 14 19 25 
			 Bradford 104 125 135 142 125 
			 Brent 69 92 64 95 126 
			 Bridgend 33 31 26 34 27 
			 Brighton and Hove 29 23 36 59 47 
			 Bristol 81 75 101 134 124 
			 Bromley 23 28 46 43 40 
			 Buckinghamshire 33 18 31 15 26 
			 Bury 27 30 40 39 39 
			 Calderdale 57 54 53 53 60 
			 Cambridgeshire 38 51 45 40 55 
			 Camden 28 43 49 54 46 
			 Cardiff 156 127 116 123 73 
			 Carmarthenshire 25 26 38 37 31 
			 Ceredigion - 2 19 17 4 
			 Cheshire 97 113 111 140 90 
			 Conwy and Denbighshire 34 49 39 48 41 
			 Cornwall 14 43 45 34 37 
			 Coventry 116 115 117 74 78 
			 Croydon 77 89 110 102 116 
			 Cumbria 100 85 101 121 108 
			 Darlington 30 26 24 31 26 
			 Derby 80 94 89 84 120 
			 Derbyshire 94 112 116 106 98 
			 Devon 43 54 51 43 37 
			 Doncaster 73 86 72 74 59 
			 Dorset 17 20 12 15 8 
			 Dudley 83 63 43 50 55 
			 Durham 69 76 62 71 83 
			 Ealing 39 49 89 115 112 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 20 19 28 37 29 
			 East Sussex 41 64 61 46 42 
			 Enfield 49 76 111 82 75 
			 Essex 171 169 195 174 150 
			 Flintshire 51 55 63 27 23 
			 Gateshead 35 32 41 41 45 
			 Gloucestershire 64 92 91 53 62 
			 Greenwich 62 79 67 56 99 
			 Gwynedd Mon 44 41 35 30 26 
			 Hackney 89 82 113 121 119 
			 Halton and Warrington 35 55 55 58 63 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 39 59 55 70 47 
			 Haringey 104 82 87 104 85 
			 Harrow 15 31 40 31 19 
			 Hartlepool 11 10 28 30 26 
			 Havering 13 19 43 45 41 
			 Hertfordshire 112 124 115 92 93 
			 Hillingdon 57 44 61 46 65 
			 Hounslow 53 48 48 51 57 
			 Islington 55 61 73 96 86 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 29 20 30 39 32 
			 Kent 162 158 192 196 181 
			 Kingston-upon-Hull 126 138 145 138 118 
			 Kingston-upon-Thames 7 12 15 26 20 
			 Kirklees 119 120 138 105 81 
			 Knowsley 49 35 39 32 39 
			 Lambeth 103 137 145 144 152 
			 Lancashire 188 227 240 236 204 
			 Leeds 351 287 321 290 267 
			 Leicester City 120 123 100 101 100 
			 Leicestershire 73 53 73 46 52 
			 Lewisham 87 100 101 82 107 
			 Lincolnshire 75 59 60 75 48 
			 Liverpool 184 204 202 207 212 
			 Luton 53 47 45 49 36 
			 Manchester 350 376 385 362 330 
			 Medway 24 34 29 53 60 
			 Merthyr Tydfil 26 47 30 23 20 
			 Merton 32 39 42 35 48 
			 Milton Keynes 23 35 29 43 36 
			 Miscellaneous 21 11 9 6 6 
			 Monmouthshire and Torfaen 22 16 18 23 9 
			 Neath Port Talbot 19 30 31 30 20 
			 Newcastle-upon-Tyne 75 80 66 62 66 
			 Newham 137 116 133 124 126 
			 Newport 70 75 65 32 35 
			 Norfolk 65 63 52 68 77 
			 North East Lincolnshire 64 64 55 45 58 
			 North Lincolnshire 47 58 52 48 62 
			 North Somerset 13 14 11 10 23 
			 North Tyneside 67 54 54 60 43 
			 North Yorkshire 30 50 58 62 70 
			 Northamptonshire 84 69 86 120 95 
			 Northumberland 45 32 55 59 37 
			 Nottingham 201 218 249 202 185 
			 Nottinghamshire 99 139 108 102 94 
			 Oldham 58 53 108 100 79 
			 Oxfordshire 51 78 73 94 56 
			 Pembrokeshire 1 5 10 8 14 
			 Peterborough 66 67 64 78 70 
			 Plymouth 31 37 42 67 44 
			 Powys 10 13 9 9 4 
			 Reading 34 39 51 40 42 
			 Redbridge 44 67 91 75 59 
			 Rhondda Cynon Taff 65 58 40 33 46 
			 Richmond-upon-Thames 20 21 10 10 11 
			 Rochdale 81 83 61 75 85 
			 Rotherham 50 52 45 39 57 
			 Salford 145 130 108 115 94 
			 Sandwell 150 135 118 87 74 
			 Sefton 19 43 62 52 53 
			 Sheffield 119 111 151 132 143 
			 Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin 32 38 41 32 58 
			 Slough 23 17 21 32 24 
			 Solihull 21 23 32 24 25 
			 Somerset 35 40 43 38 35 
			 South Gloucestershire 10 17 12 13 19 
			 South Tees 70 72 96 69 93 
			 South Tyneside 67 25 39 31 27 
			 Southend-on-Sea 25 28 55 37 38 
			 Southwark 107 110 110 102 158 
			 St Helens 23 30 25 20 38 
			 Staffordshire 78 96 80 63 79 
			 Stockport 61 58 69 63 43 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 21 18 26 22 26 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 65 79 92 63 60 
			 Suffolk 99 99 102 104 113 
			 Sunderland 77 70 56 68 44 
			 Surrey 60 71 71 64 42 
			 Sutton 32 49 29 15 23 
			 Swansea 63 56 64 33 39 
			 Swindon 28 26 27 20 20 
			 Tameside 62 75 101 70 62 
			 Thurrock 46 28 44 37 32 
			 Torbay 9 9 17 26 14 
			 Tower Hamlets and City of London 37 69 83 69 73 
			 Trafford 88 113 94 78 80 
			 Vale of Glamorgan 14 16 12 18 23 
			 Wakefield 73 68 52 63 51 
			 Walsall 78 11 74 53 64 
			 Waltham Forest 77 65 66 72 83 
			 Wandsworth 59 73 83 114 93 
			 Warwickshire 34 49 66 54 43 
			 Wessex 372 354 413 451 420 
			 West Berkshire 7 10 20 19 16 
			 West Sussex 83 125 94 103 77 
			 Westminster 40 30 38 32 43 
			 Wigan 67 60 59 63 70 
			 Wiltshire 29 30 20 19 23 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 12 8 6 6 5 
			 Wirral 73 61 61 79 45 
			 Wokingham - - 2 7 18 
			 Wolverhampton 83 67 56 48 62 
			 Worcestershire and Herefordshire 120 128 89 85 84 
			 Wrexham - - 15 51 46 
			 York 42 58 45 41 45 
			 Total 10,637 11,035 11,573 11,188 10,712 
			  Notes: 1. Please note Flintshire and Wrexham YOT split into two YOTs in 2001, though have been recorded as the combined YOT up to 2007. This problem has been corrected for 2008.  2. Mid Wales YOT split into two YOTs in 2005 to become Powys YOT and Ceredigion YOT in 2005, though were recorded as the combined YOT in 2006. This problem has been corrected from 2007. 3. Reading and Wokingham YOT split into separate YOTs in 2007. Though data appears in 2007, this is due to the fact that the split did not happen until April 2007. 4. These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing and may be subject to change over time.

Departmental Fines

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many transport-related fines his Department has settled on behalf of its staff in each year since 2005; and what the cost to the public purse was in each such year.

Tim Loughton: The Department for Education's (DFE) travel and subsistence policy clearly states that it is entirely the responsibility of employees to pay any transport related fines they occur on official business.
	There is no evidence held centrally to indicate that the Department has settled any transport-related fines on behalf of its staff since 2005. To provide absolute confirmation of this would incur disproportionate cost

Departmental Postal Services

Brandon Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what the monetary value was of contracts between his Department and its predecessors and  (a) Post Office Ltd. and  (b) Royal Mail in (i) 1997-98 and (ii) each year since 2004-05.

Tim Loughton: The Department and its predecessors has no formal contracts with Post Office Ltd or Royal Mail but uses Royal Mail services through local arrangements between Royal Mail distribution depots and our regional headquarter offices for the despatch of letters and parcels.
	There is no information available for the years 1997-98 and 2004-05 but since 2005-06 the spend on Royal Mail letter and parcel services has been:
	
		
			   £ 
			 2005-06 312,250.00 
			 2006-07 275,739.00 
			 2007-08 180,864.00 
			 2008-09 177,705.00 
			 2009-10 110,257.00

Departmental Work Experience

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many unpaid, expenses-only internships there have been in  (a) his Department and  (b) public bodies which fall within his Department's area of responsibility in the last 12 months.

Tim Loughton: The Department does not fund any unpaid, expenses only internships but does make unpaid summer internship placements available to graduates under the Teach First Programme.
	The Department does support the Cabinet Office's Summer Internship Programme which pays students participating over a six week period.
	Information on the number of unpaid, expenses-only internships for the Department's public bodies is a matter for them. The Department does not hold this information centrally and it could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Education Maintenance Allowance

Teresa Pearce: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what information his Department holds for benchmarking purposes on the effectiveness of conditional cost transfer schemes in increasing education staying on rates in other countries; and if he will make a statement.

Tim Loughton: The requested information is not collected. To supply additional information would incur disproportionate costs.

Pupils: Bullying

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education whether his Department has offered assistance to The Big March campaign; and if he will make a statement.

Tim Loughton: Tackling bullying is a top priority for the Government and we are supportive of any initiative that helps reduce the suffering of children and young people at the hands of bullies. The Deputy Prime Minister met the organisers following the March and promised to consider carefully the campaigner's calls for a review of bullying guidance across Government. In addition, Ministers in the Department have agreed to meet the organisers to discuss the items raised during the campaign.

Pupils: Bullying

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent discussions  (a) he,  (b) Ministers in his Department and  (c) officials in his Department have had with the organisers of The Big March campaign; what issues were discussed; and if he will make a statement.

Tim Loughton: Beatbullying, the organisers of the Big March, attended a ministerial policy seminar on anti-bullying hosted by the Department on 9 November 2010. During this meeting we asked for their views and ideas on how existing anti bullying policy can be strengthened. The Department will continue to consult with Beatbullying and all our partners on any changes to future Government anti-bullying policy.

Students: Finance

Teresa Pearce: To ask the Secretary of State for Education which training providers receive Government funding for the Discretionary Learner Support Fund; and how much was received by each such provider in the latest period for which figures are available.

Nick Gibb: holding answer 29 November 2010
	This is a matter for the Young People's Learning Agency (YPLA) who operate the Education Maintenance Allowance for the Department for Education. Peter Lauener the YPLA's Chief Executive, will write to the hon. Member for Erith and Thamesmead with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in the House Libraries.

Teachers: Qualifications

Simon Danczuk: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what estimate he has made of the proportion of newly-qualified teachers who did not find permanent employment in each of the last five years; what steps he plans to take to reduce levels of unemployment amongst newly-qualified teachers; what estimate he has made of the effects of the implementation of the proposals in the comprehensive spending review on levels of unemployment amongst newly-qualified teachers in each of the next five years; and if he will make a statement.

Tim Loughton: The number and percentage of newly qualified teachers (NQTs) by their employment status is given in the table. The scope of these figures is NQTs who have gained qualified teacher status (QTS) via mainstream initial teacher training courses, and the table reports their employment status six months after gaining QTS.
	
		
			  Newly qualified teachers: Employment status six months after gaining QTS-Years: 2004/05 to 2008/09-England 
			Number of NQTs 
			   Teachers gaining QTS-Newly qualified teachers (NQT's)  In a teaching post  Seeking a teaching post  Not seeking a teaching post  Unclassfied  Total 
			 2004/05 27,150 21,960 1,130 1,010 3,050 27,150 
			 2005/06 27,010 21,960 1,450 1,100 2,510 27,010 
			 2006/07 26,980 22,100 1,300 1,130 2,450 26,980 
			 2007/08 26,470 21,760 1,220 1,090 2,390 26,470 
			 2008/09 26,650 21,550 1,750 1.160 2,190 26,650 
		
	
	
		
			   Distribution of NQTs ( % )  
			   In a teaching post  Seeking a teaching post  Not seeking a teaching post  Unclassified  Total  Proportion of NQTs in a teaching post who sought/ are seeking a post  (%) 
			 2004/05 80.9 4.2 3.7 11.2 100.0 95.1 
			 2005/06 81.3 5.4 4.1 9.3 100.0 93.8 
			 2006/07 81.9 4.8 4.2 9.1 100.0 94.5 
			 2007/08 82.2 4.6 4.1 9.0 100.0 94.7 
			 2008/09 80.9 6.6 4.4 8.2 100.0 92.5 
			  Notes: 1. Excludes teachers gaining QTS via employment based routes to ITT. 2. Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10.  Source: TDA Performance Profiles 
		
	
	This analysis indicates that the proportion of NQTs in a teaching post has remained fairly stable over the last five years.
	Centrally available information does not currently provide details relating to the type of contract held by teachers (such as permanent, fixed or temporary). The new School Workforce Census will collect information on the type of contract. First findings from this data collection are expected in spring 2011.
	It is our intention that the supply of qualified teachers matches as closely as possible the needs of schools, and the number of places to initial teacher training courses is calculated on this basis. Our estimates for funding of future teacher trainees for the comprehensive spending review (CSR) took into account the latest available data on the supply of teachers.
	Overall, funding for schools, including funding for the new pupil premium, will rise in real terms over the CSR period. We are providing maximum flexibility to schools in relation to how they spend the budgets allocated to them. It is for governors and headteachers to decide how to use their budgets to ensure the best outcomes for their pupils.

Clyde Naval Base

Alan Reid: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what published information he has made available to local organisations and individuals about his estimates of the  (a) trend in the number of service personnel based at HM Naval Base Clyde and  (b) the projected number of (i) single living accommodation bed spaces and (ii) service family accommodation properties to be built between now and 2021.

Andrew Robathan: holding answer 25 November 2010
	On 6 May 2009,  Official Report, column 17WS, as part of an announcement regarding the Maritime Change Programme, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) confirmed that HM Naval Base Clyde will become the main operating base for all classes of submarines, including the future classes of submarines, such as the replacement for the Vanguard Class. Since then, the MOD has and continues to work closely with the local authorities in the Clyde area to assess the potential impact of this decision. This has included releasing preliminary information, which includes initial estimates of the potential numbers of personnel likely to move to the naval base and their potential accommodation requirements. The information released was for future planning purposes only and does not reflect what might be the final position.
	In view of his interest in this matter, I will write to the hon. Member to provide him with a copy of the data released to Clyde local authorities along with an explanation of how these forecasts have been calculated.

Nimrod Aircraft

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the likely effect on lift requirements of operation Herrick of the use of C130J's as a replacement for the Nimrod MRA4; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of the use of C130J aircraft as a replacement for the Nimrod MRA4; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what the current deployment is of the C130 and C130K aircraft which are expected to replace the Nimrod MRA4; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  what assessment he has made of the likely effect of the retirement of the C130K in 2012 on its use as a replacement for the Nimrod MRA4; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Luff: The C-130 Hercules is not a replacement aircraft for the Nimrod MRA4. There will be no effect on the lift requirements of Op Herrick. The withdrawal of the C-130K in December 2012 will not affect the situation as its tasks will transfer to the C-130J as part of the drawdown plan.
	The in-service fleet consists of 14 Hercules C-130K and 24 Hercules C-130J. The aircraft operate from RAF Lyneham. Aircraft support UK contingency operations and are deployed around the world on operations or exercises, but largely in support of Op Herrick.

Nimrod Aircraft

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what discussions he has had with the French Government on the use of Breguet Atlantiques as a substitute for the Nimrod MRA4  (a) intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance,  (b) maritime protection and  (c) search and rescue; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the cost of the introduction of the French Breguet Atlantiques as a substitute for the Nimrod MRA4 for  (a) intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance,  (b) maritime protection and  (c) search and rescue; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what discussions he has had with the US Administration on the use of P3 Orions as a substitute for the Nimrod MRA4 for  (a) intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance,  (b) maritime protection and  (c) search and rescue; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  whether any  (a) maritime patrol,  (b) search and rescue and  (c) intelligence gathering capability will be lost as a result of the use of P3 Orions as a substitute for the Nimrod MRA4; and if he will make a statement;
	(5)  whether any  (a) maritime patrol,  (b) search and rescue and  (c) intelligence gathering capability will be lost as a result of the use of French Breguet Atlantiques as a substitute for the Nimrod MRA4; and if he will make a statement;
	(6)  what estimate he has made of the cost to his Department of the introduction of the American P3 Orions as a substitute for the Nimrod MRA4 for  (a) intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance,  (b) maritime protection and  (c) search and rescue; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Luff: The Ministry of Defence has regular discussions with the Defence Departments of the United States and France on a variety of issues. We currently have no plans to replace the Nimrod MRA4 with either the P3 Orion, or the Breguet Atlantique.
	A range of military assets are used to mitigate the capability gap which emerged as a result of the withdrawal from service of Nimrod MR2 in March 2010. Following the decision not to bring the MRA4 into service, we will continue taking these measures forward. Further requirements which might emerge as a result of any change to the threat will be considered as part of the Department's capability planning process.

Public Expenditure

Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the strategic defence and security review, what estimate he has made of the level of savings that will accrue to his Department through efficiencies in military training in each year of the comprehensive spending review period.

Nick Harvey: The Ministry of Defence made estimates of the cost savings accrued from measures in the strategic defence and security review for the purposes of formulating policy. Some of these have been published to help inform the public debate. Release of further detail may prejudice the MOD's negotiating position with its commercial suppliers. Furthermore, final savings figures will depend on detailed implementation, which will generally be subject to full consultation with all relevant parties, including the trade unions and the devolved Administrations, as well as the results of mandatory assessments on the impact that the measures will have on sustainability, equality and diversity and health and safety. The MOD is therefore not prepared to release more detailed figures at this time.
	One specific area of work that we will be focussing on is the Defence Technical Training Change Programme (DTTCP) which, following the termination of the Defence Training Rationalisation (DTR) project on 19 October 2010, is a new programme that has been established to build upon the work already started under DTR. DTTCP aims to deliver efficiencies through estate rationalisation and improvements in the delivery of tri-service technical training.

Health Services: Essex

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what plans he has to assess the cost-benefit analysis of the cluster formed by the Mid Essex, North East Essex and West Essex primary care trusts;
	(2)  how many positions will be abolished in  (a) the Mid Essex Primary Care Trust,  (b) the North East Essex Primary Care Trust and  (c) the West Essex Primary Care Trust as a result of those trusts forming a cluster; and what estimate he has made of the cost of staff leaving those trusts as a result of the merger;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the cost to  (a) Mid Essex Primary Care Trust,  (b) North East Essex Primary Care Trust and  (c) West Essex Primary Care Trust of those trusts forming a cluster;
	(4)  when he received notification that the Mid Essex Primary Care Trust, the North East Essex Primary Care Trust and the West Essex Primary Care were forming a cluster.

Simon Burns: The Department was advised in September 2010 of the changes to the local management arrangements of these primary care trusts (PCTs).
	Under current legislation each PCT must have its own board and is legally responsible for the carrying out of its functions. However, it has a wide measure of discretion about its management arrangements. In particular it can employ such officers as it considers appropriate and can enter into arrangements to carry out its functions jointly with another PCT or arrange for another PCT to carry out its functions on its behalf.

Hospitals: Coventry

Marcus Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of the total running costs for the University Hospital, Coventry was paid to the private finance initiative provider in each year from 2006 to 2009; and what percentage of the total is projected to be paid to that provider in  (a) 2010 and  (b) 2011.

Simon Burns: The information is not available in the format requested. However, data for the proportion of total revenue expenditure by University hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust in respect of its private finance initiative (PFI) scheme, is set out in the table.
	Figures for 2005-06 and 2006-07 are not comparable with later years as the PFI hospital did not fully open until part way through 2006-07.
	Data are not held centrally for 2010-11 or 2011-12.
	
		
			  University hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust-proportion of total revenue expenditure relating to PFI 
			   Percentage of total revenue expenditure relating to PFI 
			 2005-06 4.3 
			 2006-07 12.7 
			 2007-08 14.6 
			 2008-09 14.6 
			 2009-10(1) 14.3 
			 (1) 2009-10 accounts were compiled under International Finance Reporting Standards under which PFI costs in the audited summarisation schedules of Trusts are split between capital repayments and revenue expenditure elements, which does not make a precise like for like comparison with earlier years in this table possible. However, an estimate of the PFI unitary payment for 2009-10 is held centrally by the Department as well as the audited outturn revenue expenditure figure for the Trust for this year and the percentage figure for this year is calculated using these two figures.  Notes: 1. The source of the data is the audited summarisation schedules of the Trust for 2005-06 to 2009-10. 2. The percentages provided represent the net revenue expenditure in respect of PFI schemes as a proportion of total revenue expenditure. 3. 2005-06 to 2008-09 figures compiled under UK Generally Accepted Accounting Practice.

NHS Commissioning Board

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether representatives of allied health professionals will have a permanent role on the NHS National Commissioning Board under the proposals in the Health White Paper.

Anne Milton: Effective general practitioner-led commissioning will require the full range of clinical and professional input alongside that of local people. Allied health professionals will all have a vital role to play, with a real opportunity to develop services and improve the health outcomes of their local populations. The NHS Commissioning Board will also need to have access to appropriate professional advice in carrying out its functions. The forthcoming Health Bill will set out further details about the membership of the Board and the process for making appointments.

Departmental Pay

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how much has been paid to officials in her Department and its non-departmental public bodies in bonuses and other payments in addition to salary in each year since 1997; how many officials received such payments; and what the monetary value was of the largest 20 payments made in each such year;
	(2)  what allowances and payments in addition to salary were available to officials in her Department and its non-departmental public bodies in each year since 1997; and what the monetary value was of payments and allowances of each type in each such year.

Nick Herbert: Information on non-consolidated performance payments, used to help drive performance, can only be provided for the last five years. Information on allowances can only be provided for the last four years. The provision of accurate and consistent data before then is either not available, or could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	The information is as follows:
	
		
			  Home Office HQ, UKBA, IPS and CRB 
			  Table 1-Non-consolidated performance payments 
			  Financial year  Total value of payments (£)  Number of staff receiving payments  Total number of staff eligible to receive payment( 1) 
			 2009-10 7,587,957 10,391 26,240 
			 2008-09 6,634,422 10,244 23,029 
			 2007-08 5,912,622 9,658 25,895 
			 2006-07 5,692,142 8,882 25,802 
			 2005-06 5,191,812 8,143 26,661 
			 (1) Source-ONS  Source: Internal databases 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2-Largest 20 non-consolidated performance payments 
			  £ 
			  Payment  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10 
			 1 15,000 22,000 27,000 15,000 28,000 
			 2 15,000 22,000 22,000 15,000 25,000 
			 3 15,000 20,000 20,000 15,000 19,000 
			 4 15,000 20,000 20,000 12,500 10,000 
			 5 15,000 17,000 18,000 12,500 10,000 
			 6 15,000 17,000 17,500 12,500 10,000 
			 7 15,000 17,000 17,500 12,500 10,000 
			 8 15,000 17,000 17,000 12,500 10,000 
			 9 15,000 17,000 17,000 12,500 10,000 
			 10 11,157 17,000 17,000 12,500 10,000 
			 11 10,000 17,000 17,000 12,500 10,000 
			 12 10,000 17,000 17,000 12,500 10,000 
			 13 10,000 16,000 17,000 12,500 10,000 
			 14 10,000 16,000 17,000 12,500 10,000 
			 15 10,000 16,000 17,000 12,500 10,000 
			 16 10,000 16,000 17,000 12,500 10,000 
			 17 10,000 16,000 16,000 11,000 10,000 
			 18 10,000 16,000 16,000 10,000 10,000 
			 19 10,000 16,000 16,000 10,000 10,000 
			 20 10,000 16,000 16,000 10,000 10,000 
			  Source: Internal databases 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 3-Allowances in addition to salary 
			  Financial year  Allowances in addition to salary (£) 
			 2009-10 3,975,377 
			 2008-09 4,576,130 
			 2007-08 5,487,235 
			 2006-07 5,877,310 
			  Source: Internal databases 
		
	
	
		
			  Home Office NDPBs 
			  Table 1-Non-consolidated performance payments 
			  Financial year  Total value of payments (£)  Number of staff receiving  Total number of staff eligible to receive payment( 1) 
			 2009-10 884,523 883 5,777 
			 2008-09 559,731 361 5,651 
			 2007-08 405,243 422 5,010 
			 2006-07 314,263 338 4,049 
			 2005-06 78,405 140 190 
			 (1) Source-ONS  Source: Internal databases 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2-Largest 20 non-consolidated performance payments 
			  £ 
			  Payment  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09  2009-10 
			 1 10,000 10,000 25,000 20,000 16,793 
			 2 10,000 10,000 15,000 17,000 16,350 
			 3 7,500 10,000 15,000 17,000 12,500 
			 4 6,000 10,000 13,978 17,000 10,000 
			 5 5,960 6,500 12,000 17,000 10,000 
			 6 5,000 6,500 12,000 11,000 10,000 
			 7 3,000 6,500 8,706 10,000 10,000 
			 8 3,000 3,750 8,000 9,026 10,000 
			 9 3,000 3,282 8,000 9,026 10,000 
			 10 3,000 3,183 8,000 9,026 10,000 
			 11 2,500 3,070 7,156 8,500 10,000 
			 12 2,121 3,000 5,322 8,495 10,000 
			 13 1,881 2,802 5,000 8,495 10,000 
			 14 1,500 2,763 5,000 8,495 10,000 
			 15 1,500 2,732 5,000 8,495 10,000 
			 16 1,500 2,500 5,000 8,000 10,000 
			 17 1,000 2,430 5,000 6,000 10,000 
			 18 1,000 1,978 5,000 6,000 10,000 
			 19 1,000 1,976 5,000 6,000 10,000 
			 20 1,000 1,737 5,000 6,000 8,250 
			  Source: Internal databases 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 3-Allowances in addition to salary 
			  Financial year  Allowances in addition to salary (£) 
			 2009-10 1,018,864 
			 2008-09 1,278,547 
			 2007-08 1,716,457 
			 2006-07 5,818,537 
			  Source: Internal databases 
		
	
	There are two separate sets of these three tables-one set for Home Office/UK Border Agency (UKBA) and agencies, and a second set for Home Office non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs).
	Allowances comprise skills and recruitment and retention allowances.
	The figures exclude locational allowances, and temporary payments, such as those paid to staff for fulfilling temporary duties. They also exclude expenses, for example the reimbursement of costs actually and necessarily incurred in the course of official business.
	Since 1997 there have been a number of machinery of government (MoG) changes which have involved the creation and dissolution of agencies and NDPBs. The National Offender Management service transferred under a MoG change to the Ministry of Justice's payroll in 2008, so are not included in the Home Office figures after that date. Two NDPBs have been created since April 2005: the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) in April 2006, and the Independent Safeguarding Authority (ISA) in March 2008. The Home Office currently has nine agencies and NDPBs. Information provided by these bodies has been included in this answer.
	For staff below senior civil service level, agencies and NDPBs except for UKBA, have pay delegation from the Home Office under which they are free to implement pay systems that meet their particular business needs.

Illegal Immigrants

Toby Perkins: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many illegal immigrants who are in prison were convicted of offences related to a breach of immigration law.

Damian Green: The latest information published by the Ministry for Justice shows that on 30 September 2010, there were 11,062 foreign nationals in prison. This includes those held under the Immigration Act 1971 (including those in the removal centres of Dover, Haslar and Lindholme) as well as those held on remand or serving custodial sentences.
	In order to confirm how many of those are in the UK illegally would require cross referencing individual records between the National Offender Management Service and the UK Border Agency, which would incur a disproportionate cost.
	However, I can advise that a proportion of the foreign nationals in prison have a right to be in the UK either as an EEA national or through a form of leave such as indefinite leave to remain or having been granted asylum. The UK Border Agency will seek to revoke leave in order remove individuals who meet the criteria for deportation.
	Additionally, the data held centrally on prisoners' offences is not sufficiently detailed to identify those serving sentences for breaches of immigration law.

Marriage of Convenience

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many sham marriages have been identified in each of the last five years.

Damian Green: The UK Border Agency does not hold records of the number of sham marriages identified
	Civil registrars have a duty under s24 of the Asylum and Immigration Act 1999 to report to the UK Border Agency prospective marriages or civil partnerships which they have reasonable grounds for suspecting may be being contracted for the purposes of circumventing immigration control. The UK Border Agency does hold data on the number of s24 reports of suspicious marriages made by civil registrars, although these are allegations and not proof of a sham marriage.
	S24 reports do not cover marriages taking place in the Anglican Church in England and Wales, where the clergy are not under the same legal obligation, or those identified by UK Border Agency case workers.
	The number of s24 reports in the last five years is as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2005 3,578 
			 2006 452 
			 2007 384 
			 2008 344 
			 2009 561 
		
	
	To the end of September, 665 reports have been received in 2010. This increase reflects the raised awareness among registrars of the work to tackle the problem rather than a rise in the number of sham marriages.

Arts: Bristol City Council

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the likely effect of reductions in local authority funding on arts organisations in the Bristol city council area.

Edward Vaizey: It is central Government's role to empower local communities and local authorities to make the decisions that they feel are most appropriate for their area. The Department will continue to fund the arts through Arts Council England, who provide support to a number of Regularly Funded Organisations across the country.

Digital Economy Act 2010

Louise Bagshawe: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what assessment has been made of the impact of the judicial review of Ministerial decisions on the Digital Economy Act 2010.

Jeremy Hunt: British Telecom and Talk Talk have been granted permission to proceed with a judicial review of the case against the online copyright infringement provisions of the Digital Economy Act (DEA).
	The date for the hearing has not yet been confirmed by the court. In the meantime, work on implementing the DEA is continuing as planned and Ofcom will shortly be publishing the draft initial obligations code.

Regional Development Agencies: North East

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 6 September 2010,  Official Report, column 333W, on regional development agencies: North East region, what mechanisms he has put in place to ensure that the interests of the tourism industry are represented; and what mechanisms he plans to put in place to ensure that assistance to businesses in the tourism sector is maintained during the transition from regional development agencies to local enterprise partnerships.

John Penrose: The Government will place a strong emphasis on leadership by local tourism interests, in particular, local tourism businesses, as set out in the White Paper 'Local Growth: realising every place's potential', presented to Parliament on 28 October 2010.
	Further details of the Government's position will be made available in a forthcoming tourism strategy paper, currently scheduled for release in early 2011.
	VisitEngland have set up a transition team, working with the regional development agencies (RDAs) on maintaining tourism support.
	Following the announcement of the first 24 Local Enterprise Partnerships, DCMS and VisitEngland have also begun work with the LEPs on transitional issues and on their individual tourism plans.

Royal Parks: Maintenance

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent assessment he has made of the backlog of maintenance works in the Royal Parks.

John Penrose: holding answer 29 November 2010
	The chief executive has operational responsibility for maintenance of the fabric of The Royal Parks (TRP). Following a review, in 2004, he advised the Secretary of State that the estimated backlog was £64.5 million, which was reduced to £51.2 million by 2008-09. In 2009 TRP undertook a new comprehensive review of the backlog, which added new items. The re-based figure is £56 million.

Lobbyists

Andrea Leadsom: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what progress he has made on his plans to introduce a statutory register for lobbyists.

Mark Harper: The Government intend to run a broad consultation on the introduction of a statutory register of lobbyists in the coming months with a view to introducing legislation in the next session.

Public Sector: Procurement

Alex Cunningham: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether his Department plans to reform procurement rules to facilitate the delivery of public services by  (a) charities,  (b) social enterprises,  (c) small businesses and  (d) other non-governmental bodies.

Francis Maude: The Public Contracts Regulations 2006 do not themselves prevent different supplier types from delivering public services. However, the Government are in the process of reforming Government procurement practices and procedures in a way that will facilitate the delivery of public services by a wide range of providers, including charities, social enterprises, small businesses, other non-governmental bodies, and by existing public servants independently of existing departmental structures.
	On 1 November, I announced a package of measures to help small and medium-sized enterprises to obtain public sector contracts. They include halving the lengthand breadth of the pre-qualification process for small firms, and creating a single website called Contracts Finder, where businesses can locate all the contracts that are available from Government.
	We are publishing a Green Paper shortly which will ask civil society organisations and commissioners how the commissioning process can be improved in order to increase the role of charities, social enterprise, mutuals and co-operatives in public service delivery. Feedback from this consultation will inform the wider Public Services Reform White Paper to be published early in the new year. Reforms to the procurement process will form part of this work.

Access to Work Programme

David Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 19 November 2010,  Official Report, columns, 992-993W, on the access to work programme, when he expects to place in the Library a copy of the latest version of the Jobcentre Plus Guidance referred to in her Answer.

Maria Miller: I can confirm that the latest version of Access to Work guidance has been placed in the Library.

Departmental Food

Julian Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether his Department has guidelines on ensuring that food used for his Department's official functions is of domestic origin.

Chris Grayling: The Department does not procure food directly, but has a contract for the provision of fully serviced accommodation which includes catering. The contract is with Telereal Trillium and their catering services supplier is Eurest (part of the Compass Group UK and Ireland).
	The Department works with these suppliers, actively promoting DEFRA guidelines that food procured meets British or equivalent standards of production wherever this can be achieved without increasing overall costs.

Disability Living Allowance

Fiona O'Donnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether there will be circumstances in which children in receipt of the mobility component of disability living allowance who are attending residential schools will lose their entitlement to the mobility component under his proposals for welfare reform.

Maria Miller: holding answer 19 November 2010
	 Proposals for disability living allowance reform will be informed by responses to the consultation document which we will publish shortly.
	We will be making clearer as we move towards the Bill exactly how the measure to cease paying mobility component of DLA to people in care homes will affect particular groups.

Employment and Support Allowance

John Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what progress his Department has made on reviewing the work capability assessment for employment and support allowance.

Chris Grayling: The Welfare Reform Act 2007 commits the Government to commissioning an independent review of the work capability assessment annually for the first five years of its operation.
	Professor Malcolm Harrington reviewed the fairness and effectiveness of the assessment. His review, published on 23 November, found that the WCA is the right process, but that improvements could be made. The review set out a substantial series of recommendations which the Government fully accepted on the same day. As a result we will:
	Improve the capability and confidence of Decision Makers in Jobcentre Plus;
	Put in place 'champions' with additional expertise in mental, cognitive and intellectual conditions in each Atos Medical Examination Centre; and
	Make the WCA a more compassionate process.
	In addition to the independent reviews, the Department also carried out a Department-led review which was published in March 2010. This review consulted closely with medical and other experts and disability organisations and made a series of recommendations for improving the WCA. We intend to introduce these changes in spring 2011, ahead of the reassessment of incapacity benefits claimants.

Housing Benefit

Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the number of individuals in households in which at least one member works for at least 16 hours per week who will  (a) have their income reduced and  (b) fall below the equivalised poverty threshold of 60 per cent. of median household income as a result of proposed changes to council tax benefit; and what the average amount is by which the income of affected households will be reduced as a result of that measure;
	(2)  what his most recent estimate is of the number of individuals in households in which at least one member works for at least 16 hours per week who will  (a) have their income reduced and  (b) fall below the equivalised poverty threshold of 60 per cent. of median household income as a result of his proposal to cap local housing allowance rates; and what the average amount is by which the income of affected households will be reduced as a result of that measure;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the number of individuals in households in which at least one member works for at least 16 hours per week who will  (a) have their income reduced and  (b) fall below the equivalised poverty threshold of 60 per cent. of median household income as a result of uprating the local housing allowance rates with reference to the consumer price index from 2013-14; and what the average amount is by which the income of those households will be reduced as a result of that measure;
	(4)  what estimate he has made of the number of individuals in households in which at least one member works for at least 16 hours per week who will  (a) have their income reduced and  (b) fall below the equivalised poverty threshold of 60 per cent. of median household income as a result of setting reduced local housing allowance rates at the thirtieth percentile of local rents; and what the average amount is by which the income of affected households will be reduced as a result of that measure;
	(5)  what estimate he has made of the number of individuals in households in which at least one member works for at least 16 hours per week who will  (a) have their income reduced and  (b) fall below the equivalised poverty threshold of 60 per cent. of median household income as a result of removing the five-bedroom local housing allowance rate; and what the average amount is by which the income of affected households will be reduced as a result of that measure.

Steve Webb: The information requested is not available and could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.
	The Department published a document on "Impacts of Housing Benefit proposals: Changes to the Local Housing Allowance to be introduced in 2011-12" and a separate equality impact assessment on the 23 July. A copy of the documents has been placed in the Library.
	The Department will publish full impact assessments for the proposed measures, in the normal way, when it lays the relevant legislation.

Housing Benefit: Private Rented Housing

Gordon Henderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will consider the merits of amending rules governing the payment of local housing allowance to ensure that it is paid directly to private landlords.

Steve Webb: Although housing benefit is normally paid to the tenant under the local housing allowance arrangements there are safeguards in place for tenants who are unable or unlikely to manage their rental payments.
	We are conducting a review of the first two years' operation of the local housing allowance to monitor its impact at a national level within the limitations of the available administration data and research. The review aims to cover a range of issues that are likely to be of interest to landlords, including direct payment to tenants and the operation of the safeguards for tenants who are unable or unlikely to manage their rental payments. An in-depth focus group study of landlords concerning their attitudes to, and experiences of, the local housing allowance scheme will be included. The review is due to report in the later in the year. However, we have no plans to return to a system where tenants can simply choose to have their benefit paid to the landlord.

Housing: Rent

Stella Creasy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate his Department has made of the level of availability of housing in each London borough with  (a) four bedrooms which can be rented at a cost at or below the proposed £400 per week housing benefit cap,  (b) three bedrooms which can be rented at a cost at or below the proposed £340 per week housing benefit cap and  (c) two bedrooms which can be rented at a cost at or below the proposed £290 per week benefit cap.

Steve Webb: The Department published a document on "Impacts of Housing Benefit proposals: Changes to the Local Housing Allowance to be introduced in 2011-12" on the 23 July, which includes breakdowns at the local authority level and an assessment of the impact on availability of accommodation. A copy of the document has been placed in the Library.

Mortgages: Government Assistance

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he plans to take steps to assist those claiming support for mortgage interest whose mortgage interest rate is substantially higher than the standard interest rate used to calculate support payments.

Steve Webb: One of the reasons for the introduction of the standard interest rate in 1995 was that the actual interest rates met under the previous system were sometimes excessive. The policy intention is not that support for mortgage interest should meet high interest rates. It is important that only reasonable costs are met, in order to protect the tax payer.
	When the amount provided through benefit is less than the lender's rate charged on the loan, the responsibility lies with the claimant, working together with the lender, to meet any shortfall in payments.
	The Government will continue to explore with mortgage lenders the scope for them to "freeze" benefit claimants' mortgage accounts and apply a standard interest rate for a fixed period. In the meantime, the Government will continue to work closely with lenders and debt advice agencies to ensure that repossession is only ever a last resort, and expects to see lenders continuing to offer support and forbearance to their customers who are struggling with their mortgage.

Pensions: Consumer Price Index

Rachel Reeves: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what methodology he used to determine his policy on the use of the consumer price index as a measure of inflation in respect of pensions.

Steve Webb: The decision to use the consumer prices index (CPI) as the measure of inflation for indexation of benefits and pensions was taken in light of relevant factors, including the profile of price inflation indices and their features, and taken within the wider fiscal context.
	An example of a feature which led us to decide that the CPI was a better reflection of pensioners' inflationary experience was the fact that the retail prices index includes mortgage interest payments. Mortgage interest payments not relevant to the majority of pensioners, of which only 7% have a mortgage.

Social Security Benefits: Social Rented Housing

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether households in social housing where rents are set at 80 per cent. of market rents will be affected by the proposed upper limit on benefits entitlement.

Steve Webb: The current assumption is that the upper limit on benefit entitlement will apply to all housing benefit recipients, including those in the social sector whose rents have been set at 80% of market rents. However, those households who receive disability living allowance and working tax credit will not be subject to the overall limit.